Heroes
by Verdancy of the Green
Summary: In which Neku is a ill-tempered hero in need of money.
1. Chapter 1

**The idea just sort of popped up, y'know? Too good to let it go past anyway.**

He fumbled with his keys, swearing quietly as they dropped onto the rusting metal walkway. Trembling from numbness and cold, he picked up his keyring. After a brief struggle to shove in his door, the sound of the ringing staircase reached him as someone ascended. Great, his neighbor the damn barista.

"Hey, how's it going, kid?"

The older man's disarming smile was met with a brief glance colder than the snow on the ground.

"Cute kid," he muttered, after the door slammed shut in his face. The teenager had been here for a good number of months, and he had yet to hear a single greeting or not-mumbled word. Hell, the only reason he knew the kid's last name was Sakuraba was because it was on the nameplate. It was bad enough having to deal with nasty customers at work, but he didn't want to live next to one either.

-0-0-0-

The door flung shut behind him, Neku stumbled in, away from outside distractions and discomforts. His breath no longer fogged in front of his face, and warmth slowly spread from his core and seeped into his extremities. He was exhausted, and collapsed onto his mattress in the corner. Homework was burning holes into his schoolbag, and if he didn't keep his grades up he'd be forced to revoke his Hero's license. Inside his bathroom, he carefully took off his black contacts after washing his hands and pulled off a black wig, revealing a shock of orange blonde hair and tired blue eyes.

After a hot shower, he emerged feeling somewhat better. His backpack lay forlornly on the floor, and he emptied out it's contents onto his bed nest. Curling amongst the numerous pillows and comforters was always nice, and it was the only thing he decided to splurge on. A mesh frame of colorful pop-art pins was nearby, and he removed the pins from his costume to place back onto the frame. Absentmindedly, he laid back, observing all the abilities at his disposal. He wanted to try a new line up of pins for the next battles, and needed to see them all in one place. The only pin that he never left the apartment without was the pin his father got him during a business trip to Tokyo.

He had gotten some new pins after moving to Shibuya, but hadn't had the chance to try them out. Maybe it wasn't such a good idea to suddenly switch out his pins. After all, he was most comfortable with his old ones. In the end he decided to switch out his Cure Drink pin for a Healing Bunny pin he'd gotten from a shop called Sheep Heavenly. It was embarrassing as hell to be in such a girly and pastel covered place, but he had seen the pins and felt something strange emanating from some of them. In the end, he forked over two-thousand yen and escaped with the little pink bunny pin. The cashier gushed on about how this pin was one of her favorites, and her comments did not escape the ears of the girls behind him. He quickly walked out of the store, his ears and cheeks bright red.

Still, this was one of the pins that had felt unique to him. It didn't work any differently from his old soda pop pin, but he wanted to see what would happen. He also hoped it was worth the ridiculous price tag.

A rumbling noise began kicking around in his gut, and he got up to reheat a convenience store meal. As the microwave hummed and clanked suspiciously, he started organizing all his homework and made a list. When dinner was finished and he tossed out the trash, he started working on schoolwork from the comfort of his bed, finishing right as the clock struck twelve. He was grateful for the fact that school was not too difficult for him, and that maintaining good test scores required only some amount of effort. Sleep came easy that night.

When his alarm woke him up the next morning, he thought that he was hearing sirens in a dream again. He moaned and rubbed his eyes to check the digital clock. It took him a few moments to properly read the glowing red numbers, but when he did see them, his heart stopped. 7:10 A.M. The subway train he took came at 7:30 A.M., and school started at 7: 56 A.M. He almost screamed before jumping out of his bed. He swore loudly, not giving a damn about his next door neighbor as he ran around the tiny apartment, before finally shoving things into his school bag and sprinting out in a hurry. He had forgotten his gloves again, and his muffler trailed behind him like streamers of red as he ripped out his pass card and shoved through the crowds to finally forcibly shove himself into the crowded car. People began spitting insults at him, but he ignored them in stride and secured his place on the subway. He breathed happily as the train lurched into motion, and wondered if today would be relatively incident free. Some quick practice with his skull pin helped him refresh his mind again.

He squeezed out at the next stop and began his frantic travels yet again. At exactly 7:55 A.M., he slid into his seat and began pulling out his notebooks and pencils. His wig was not skewed at all due to an impressive number of bobby pins, and he could still feel both contacts in his eyes, so all was still right with the world. Some other students began whispering about him, but he couldn't be bothered to listen in. The teacher ambled in, tired as ever (from nights at hostess clubs Neku found out one time), and began reading out names. Classes weren't too hard, he bought some lunch bread, and he went to cram school afterwards. Three hours passed before he was finally back at his snug little apartment and the sky outside was dark. He fumbled with his keys again because of his forgotten gloves, but got in without distractions this time. The second time he left his apartment that day, he left with his costume in a backpack with him.

He hadn't gotten any store sponsors, so he was wearing the basic uniform issued to all new heroes. He always fled in a hurry before he could get any sponsors, so eventually, he had worn the basic costume far longer than any other new hero, and it became associated with him. The plain black jumpsuit was a bit baggy on his slim frame, but it suited him. As a hero, no one cared if his hair was such an odd color, and he took off his irritating contacts as well before pulling out his mask. It was a white, blank slab of material covering his face, but it was his, and he made sure to take care of it. This time, he made sure to put on gloves.

He left through a window in the bathroom, and took all the back routes to the Shibuya HA base, but there was already a large group of reporters and fans swarming the area. They were waiting for other heroes, but he had attracted a good amount of attention, ending the two-hour long hostage stalemate in a mere minute from last night. Gently, he used his psychokinesis pin to hold them off before rushing in. He turned in the orbs from the Noise corrupting the man last night, and his happy expression was hidden behind the mask as the bank teller gave him proof of his monthly salary and a very large bonus. He could actually have some spending money for the first time in months.

"Marionette! Over here~!"

"She's so cute!"

"Omigosh! It's Tempo too!"

"Man, the guy in Tempo is absolutely ripped!"

"This is the first time I've seen girl Tempo in person!"

"Mr. Mew is the cutest plushie I've ever seen, and ever since she got sponsored by Lapin Angelique she's looked so much better!"

"Never really cared for lolita fashion to be honest, not sexy enough!"

Neku blinked as he realized he was holding his skull pin and unconsciously listening in to thoughts. The doors opened, and the heroine Marionette appeared, followed closely by the hero pair Tempo. Rumor was that they were friends out of costume, which is why they worked closely together while on the streets. Marionette had gotten extremely popular due to her deadly-but-cute fighting style using her stuffed cat (pig), and Tempo was perfectly synchronized in close range combat which was flashy and drew crowds. Marionette would keep Noise numbers under control, allowing Tempo to attack big ones fearlessly up close. It was a brilliant strategy that helped them both become successful heroes in Shibuya.

"Hey, it's Psychic! You really saved us yesterday!"

Tempo was right behind her and also said their thanks. In fact, the shorter Tempo came right up to him.

"Having a whole bunch of powers must be pretty useful, right?"

He paused, and eventually answered the question.

"It's not that useful."

"You're surprisingly modest."

"Tempo, don't bother him. The least we can do is owe him some privacy after he helped us out yesterday," Marionette said.

"I guess. Still, we owe you one!" they said, running back to their counterpart.

Neku silently watched them all, still not completely done with his cash withdrawal. He hesitantly squeezed his skull pin again.

"... cold... kinda scary..."

"...yo, that's a hella creepy mask..."

"... loner type... me... getting popular though... I want to change."

The last one was Marionette. He wondered why she felt some sort of kinship with him. Obviously none of them thought his personality was the best. Their ringing cellphones immediately snapped him out of his daze. He had his phone pressed to his ear in a flash.

"Heroes. There has been a major accident at an intersection near you. A truck driver lost control after hitting black ice. Casualties are confirmed. A nearby building is also damaged and people are trapped under the rubble. The driver himself has not been extracted, and Noise are beginning to appear at the scene due to the chaos. Assist rescue efforts by preventing the Noise from possessing anyone at the scene."

The cold voice abruptly ended.

"C'mon! Let's go!" One of Tempo called, running out.

Tempo was traveling fast with their skateboard, but Marionette was exceptionally flashy. Neku couldn't help but stare in shock as the pig she carried around ballooned to the size of a car. She easily fit on it's shoulder, and she offered a hand to Neku.

"Looks like you won't get there before us this time, Psychic. Wanna ride?"

"... Fine."

He jumped onto the other free shoulder and almost fell off as the pig began barreling through crowds to its destination. It was just as fast as Tempo's board, and they were soon side by side with the other two.

"Hey! Why's the emo tagging 'long?"

"Oh shut up," Neku retorted.

"It's true!"

Marionette's blue locks trailed behind her and she focused forward.

"I offered him a ride! He's only on foot, y'know?"

"I don't think it's a good idea to be associated with us if you prefer to work alone, Psychic."

The reasonable Tempo had a point, but he was offered free transportation, so he would take it.

"This piggy just makes for good traveling. Nothing else."

"Hey! Don't call Mr. Mew a piggy again or you're going down!"

"I'm going down then."

They arrived at the scene, and Neku felt his stomach twist uncomfortably.

Noise were everywhere, destroying their surroundings and attacking people.

Yet not a single one was currently possessing a person.

Noise needed to possess people to become physical, and even then they were attached to the possessed person. These ones were running free.

"What? No! This isn't right at all!" Marionette shouted, "No one's possessed!"

"We can see that!" Neku snapped.

To their horror, the other heroes had their hands full, and the Noise seemed to have a taste for human blood.

"Marionette! Use Mr. Mew to draw their attention!" Tempo called.

"Don't bother. I can do it better."

The taller of Tempo spun around and grabbed Neku by the collar.

"Oh, really? How?!"

"... This," he muttered with a frown, holding up his skull pin.

"Hah? Yer' stupider than ya' look! That's just a pin!"

"Oh just back off you muscle-head! It's my power!" He shoved the tall Tempo away from him and gave his pin a toss.

"Cover me!"

His shut his eyes tight, and began feeling out for all the Noise auras mixed in with thoughts. He forcibly slapped them with his power, and he could feel them all suddenly come for him. The only thing he could be grateful for was that no new ones were appearing to add to the already massive ranks.

He gasped and nearly collapsed when he opened his eyes again. The younger Tempo had graciously caught him. He coughed and shoved down his nausea to completely incinerate a small pack of Noise coming to their side.

"They're all coming!"

"All of them?" Marionette said in shock.

"Damn, I screwed up!" he shouted back, immediately diving into combat. He used his powers to lift rubble and at one point even used a car to ram through a swathe of Noise.

"Holy crap! What da' hell are ya?!"

"Shut your mouth and fight!"

He began expertly wielding his flames to hold Noise at bay, before switching to shockwaves that sliced deep into the skin of the larger Noise. Satisfied that he had that one preoccupied with its wound, he raised a block of concrete and smashed in its head.

"Watch out!" Marionette yelled. She slapped away her Noise and ran for Neku, but a pack of Noise suddenly sliced their claws into him. It was like twisted karma. A slice for a slice, and gashes of spurting red bloomed from his body.

He screamed and fell to the ground, and Marionette quickly battered the Noise into the ground before they could swarm him again.

"Do you need a hospit-!"

In front of her eyes, Neku's wounds were healing.

"Argh, goddammit. Thanks!" he shouted, not even sparing her a glance as he dived back into the conflict.

"Did you see that?!" she screamed to Tempo through the chaos.

The younger Tempo swung their blade through the swarming Noise as their partner first thinned out the crowds with his skateboard.

"Yeah! That was amazing!"

"Told ya' he's not human!"

"Maybe he has a healing psych too! First the Noise, the flames, the shock-waves, the telekinesis, and now this! I can't believe a person like this exists!"

"We'll find him afterwards! For now, focus on the fight!" Marionette said, making Mr. Mew as large as she could, and having him tackle down lines of Noise.

-0-0-0-

With a sickening thump, he plunged a broken pipe into the final Noise's head. He was out of energy. A line of blood dribbled from his nose and out underneath his mask. That was never a good sign. He needed somewhere to rest, and fast. If he collapsed here, the paramedics would definitely take off his mask to check the blood. He didn't trust any of the civilians here either. He tried to slow his heavy breathing, but it was clear that he was near his limit. His pulse fluttered weakly and his knees hit the ground. He didn't know what to do.

"Psychic! There you are!"

Marionette again. Her costume was looking worse for wear, and it was smeared with dirt and grease.

"Oh, what happened?"

He said nothing and briefly lifted the bottom half of his mask to wipe at the blood.

"You look like crap."

She seethed and flicked him in the head.

"Learn some tact! You'll never get a girlfriend, I bet!"

"Not... interested."

"Hm? Hey, you're not okay at all."

"Just tired, I don't need your pity!"

"Tempo! Let's take this guy to the base!"

Tempo came rolling over on their skateboard.

"You sure? This guy's got a crappy personality!"

"You're pretty aggressive too, Beat," Tempo 2 added quietly.

"If you're that worried, we can blackmail him back."

"Wow, that's pretty harsh of you, Marionette, but that does work."

"Alright then.

"Don't talk about random crap right in front of me! What are you guys talking about?" Neku shouted, when suddenly his head went foggy and he hit the ground for real this time.

"Oh, holy shit! You okay, man?"

"You're a dumbass. Do I _look _okay?" he growled, his face pressed to the ground. Everything went dark afterwards.

-0-0-0-

And so he woke up on a ratty couch.

"So you brought him _here_? It's bad enough that you guys hang out here all the time, but now you bring another random kid with you? Can't you guys be normal and hang out at each others' places instead?"

The lights were on, and he swore they were trying to burn in his eyes. He moaned and more or less fell off the couch. A raging migraine was shattering his brain tissue, and the best he could do was move in the general direction of the voices.

"Can I get any pain-killers?" he asked, looking through blurry eyes.

"Well what do you know? Sleeping Beauty's up."

That voice seemed annoyingly familiar.

"Wait. _You're _Psychic?"

He rubbed his eyes and finally got a good look at the speaker. To his left were the other Marionette and Tempo, and to his right was...

"Why is my goddamned neighbor here?"

**Dun dun DUUUUUNN.**


	2. Chapter 2

**ONWARDS WE SHALL GO! "Sobs" The first chapter could've been so much better... I re-read it and winced so much...**

After a glass of water and enough ibuprofen to overdose on, Neku was a slightly changed man. He actually replied to questions and spoke short phrases, compared to formerly being sprawled over the counter top, snarling at every human being that got too close and letting his nosebleed drip all over the wood.

"Move your head. I gotta clean off the blood."

When Neku shifted his skull, the barista scrubbed off the stains with stiff movements, and used another wet cloth to clean the blood off Neku's face.

"I'm gonna get something for all of you guys to eat. It's late, and I have a feeling our patient's gonna puke out all those painkillers if we don't get something in his stomach in time. By the way, if I'm too late, the bathroom's in that far right corner, got it?"

He took the incoherent utterance as a yes, and disappeared into the kitchen,

"Are you feeling better?"

Shiki's question was met with a groan, before Neku pulled himself into a mostly upright position.

"A little," he mumbled. He strained his eyes, blurred with fatigue and pain. "You're... Marionette, right? And you guys are Tempo?"

"Er, we should probably introduce ourselves," a streetwear-dressed girl said from further down the counter. "I'm Raimu Bito, but call me 'Rhyme'. This guy's my big brother," she said, gesturing to the muscular boy next to her.

"Yo, th' name's Daisukenojo Bito. S'mouthful, so I like goin' by Beat." His overblown glare told Neku everything he needed to know. Neku's gaze then drifted to Marionette, who didn't seem like the bubbly hero he'd always seen. The girl smoothed down her maxi skirt and pushed up her slipping glasses before looking straight at Neku.

"My name's Shiki Misaki. Yours?"

Shiki Misaki. Raimu Bito. Daisukenojo Bito. He repeated the names to himself, making sure to remember them properly.

"Hey! Watchu spacin' out fer?"

He scowled and winced as the loud voice bounced in his skull. Beat was definitely not the right person to be around during headaches.

"I guess it's fair, since you told me your names, and showed me your faces too. It's Neku Sakuraba."

"Ne-Ku, Sa-Ku-Ra-Ba," Shiki repeated to herself, "So a 'song', and Sakuraba, that's cherry blossoms and – oh! Song of the cherry blossom garden! Cute name!"

Red bloomed from Neku's ears, yet his expression stayed hard and clear.

"Yeah, yeah."

"Pfft! A dead lookin' guy like you don't suit that name!" Beat howled, not bothering to hold back his laughter at all.

"Come on, Beat! Be nice!" Rhyme scolded, "Sorry about that Neku, he has no tact."

Neku shrugged, then flicked up his right index finger.

Beat's coffee splashed up into his face, and he immediately stopped laughing.

"What? You're supposed t'be half-dead!" he screamed at Neku, coffee dripping down his tan chin.

Neku curled in like a dying insect, his stomach suddenly protesting the lack of food and overabundance of medication.

"Totally worth it," he spat, before falling off his chair and stumbling into the bathroom. The sound of profuse vomiting followed soon, making them all wince.

"Yo! Not cool!"

"You were asking for it."

"Rhyme!"

"I was just complimenting his name, and you went and insulted him for it. You totally deserved that."

"Not you too, Shiki!"

Right then, Mr. Hanekoma reappeared, holding a tray of various snacks, along with a pitcher of fresh coffee, and some tea, just for Neku.

"Where's the kid?"

Rhyme pointed at the bathroom, and Mr. Hanekoma, to his credit, only groaned once

"I'm gonna have to put a bajillion air freshners into that bathroom."

-0-0-0-

Mr. Hanekoma knocked loudly on the door, once the sounds of vomiting had stopped.

"Hey, kid! Is your stomach empty yet? The others are waiting for you."

"Let them wait."

"Stop being a dumbass and get your head out of my toilet."

A few minutes later, Neku emerged and flopped onto the empty seat they left for him. As he massaged his burning neck and throbbing head, the glare he gave Beat could've given an old lady a heart attack.

"I changed my mind. Not worth it."

"Asshole."

Shiki groaned and slapped the counter.

"Beat! Stop that! Neku, we need to ask you something."

"What?"

"Will you join our group?"

"No."

The answer was faster than any of them had expected.

"Why, why not?" Rhyme asked.

"I'm not gonna let others take me down with them," he whispered hoarsely.

"What about th' battle? You called the Noise fer us!" Beat shouted.

"That's _all _I did! Then we fought on our own!"

"Fine then!" Shiki yelled. "I'll spread your name everywhere! With pictures if you don't help us!"

Neku's bloodshot eyes burned with fury, and he shot up to his feet, his hair crackling with energy.

"Holy shit," Rhyme whispered. Beat was quick to shift himself in front of her, shielding the petite girl.

"The pictures, delete them, or else everyone _burns_," he snarled, flames suddenly dancing around his balled up fists. His voice, cracked and faint, did not seem any less threatening.

"Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck! Not here!" Mr. Hanekoma tried to holler past the thickening tension. His eyes darted towards the exit, and then to Neku's flames. He'd be burned to a crisp if he tried to escape. He wracked his brains for a way to end the conflict, and it all hinged on them both not thinking clearly enough right now.

"Shiki! The photos won't work! This kid always wears a black wig and contacts in his civ wear! He actually takes all that shit off when he's in costume!"

To his horror, Mr. Mew ballooned and smashed a chair with a single swipe of his arm.

"I have enough savings, yeah, I can totally rebuild if they trash the place, yeah..." he quietly said to himself.

"We still have his name! We need his power! He owes us!" she shrieked. "We freaking saved your kickbacked-ass from rotting on that fucked up intersection!" Her own temper was beginning to rise, and Beat and Rhyme inched ever so closely to the exit.

"If you release my name, I'm gonna do the exact same thing!"Neku screamed, his voice climbing in pitch.

"Oh yeah? Guess what? _I don't give a damn. _My best friend already knows everything, and I was planning on stopping once I had enough money to begin with!"

"Do you really think that mask is to protect you from the _people_? Hell no! The Noise remember everything!"

"You pulling that out of your ass!"

"They've got souls, and I've read into their thoughts once or twice! Once your name leaks into the public and the Noise find out, you're fucked! They're like birds or something; they hold crazy grudges!"

"You're in the same boat then!"

"I'm strong enough to fight them off!"

"Well guess what? I AM TOO!"

"The damn hipster barista is right though! I wear a wig and contacts normally! If your picture came out, they'd know who you were immediately! At least all I'd have to do is take out the contacts or switch out the wig and I'd be good!"

"Why do you even wear a wig and contacts?! You're not hiding from the Noise! You're hiding from people! If our names and pics got leaked, you'd have to reveal how you truly look to others!"

The two of them never broke eye contact, and Mr. Hanekoma almost cried as the edge of the counter was singed black and another chair broke into pieces. Eventually, Mr. Mew shrank down back to his original size, and the flames on Neku's hands were snuffed out.

"Shit," Neku muttered, "in the end, I have more to lose."

Shiki sighed, letting her perfect posture break into a slump. With the biggest, shit-eating grin Neku had ever seen, she triumphantly offered Neku a hand.

"You'll join us then?"

Neku couldn't bear to look at her hand, and sealed the handshake with a limp grip.

"Why do you want my power so bad anyway?"

Her bright eyes glittered despite the godforsaken hour, and her reply make Neku's core freeze.

"We're bringing down the Reapers."

Neku was sure that he was hallucinating. There was no way this single, teenage girl suddenly declared to him that they would take down the biggest, strongest hero group in Shibuya. No way.

"I'm going to get murdered," he said.

"No way. You're too strong for that! Like I said, we need your firepower. We can take them down with you, I'm sure!"

"They have ties with the freaking yazuka, and don't even get me started about their big-shot sponsors in Pork City! You mess with them, you're gonna die!"

"If we don't stop them, more will get hurt!" she cried, her eyes beginning to water despite her fearsome expression and bared teeth.

"Shiki, calm down," Rhyme said, reappearing by her friend's side. "Beat, you can tell Neku everything, right?"

"... Sure."

He lumbered over to the lounge, watching Shiki's stiff body with a pained expression. His body hit the couch with a lifeless thump, and both Neku and Beat silently saw Mr. Hanekoma gently seat the two girls at the burned counter with hot cups of cocoa. Neku squirmed in his seat, and subconsciously touched his pins for reassurance.

"Hey, that girl – "

"Shiki."

"Shiki, she's close with someone hurt by the Reapers, right?"

Beat covered pulled down his beanie a bit further, shoulders slumped.

"Eri's a good friend, but she's Shiki's _best _friend."

At the words, "best friend", Neku's fingers dug into the pillow cushion he had grabbed.

"Is 'Eri' dead, or... Or worse?"

"Worse. Way worse. Eri was a hella good designer. Could put a pro to shame – people paid her big bucks to make stuff, and she's just a normal student, y'know? She don't mess with no heroes, no psych, no nothing. She just saw something she wasn't supposed to, so the Reapers blinded 'er, and said her hands were next if she spilled anything."

Neku's throat closed, and his mind went white. It took him a few moments to start speaking again.

"She can't design anything if she's blind, huh?"

"She's tryin', but it's hard. She's on meds right now at the hospital. Not high up enough on the transplant list to get a new pair of eyes either."

"Meds?"

Neku's eyes widened, and he slowly covered his mouth.

"Oh shit," he whispered, as the cheap wall decals suddenly became incredibly interesting.

"Yeah. She tried to jump off somewhere, or call the Noise, but Shiki's been savin' er' every time. Eri's at the hospital on suicide watch."

Beat watched Neku as he stared off into the distance, the shorter boy's mouth first twisting into a frown, before morphing into a thin line, and eventually opening and closing ever so slightly.

"Are ya' even listenin'?!"

"I am!"

Neku stumbled back a step from the tone of his own voice, before he immediately stood his ground and leaned forward. He looked up, and Beat was stunned by how Neku was trembling. Eri was a girl completely unrelated to him, so why was he this riled up?

"Fine. I'll help you guys. I'll help you guys take down the Reapers!"

Beat held his stare with Neku, almost afraid to break it, before he gestured to his nose.

"The blood, it's back."

Neku blinked, and wiped it off with a sigh, and in that moment, his clear eyes grew dull and listless. The adrenaline from hours before had finally washed out of his system, leaving behind a worn out body suddenly reeling from a lack of strength and the immediate appearance of pain.

The world was doused in fog and walking became an arduous task, but his keys were still at the bathroom with his clothes. Rather, was he even in the proper state to go home? He hadn't finished his homework yet, and he still had school tomorrow.

"Hey man, you alright? We talked 'bout some heavy stuff, but yer not lookin' too good."

Neku pressed a hand to a pallid face, torn between two directions.

"I-I have to get my stuff, but I'm tired, and there's school tomorrow... My homework. Ah, I don't know what to do..."

Firm speech was reduced to rambling and odd utterances, as he tripped into the couch.

Beat jumped back with a shout, and began calling the others over.

"Guys! Guys! Get over here! He's mumbling all dis' crazy stuff!"

Neku rolled over, fighting the urge to pass out.

"My stuff, can you get it? I marked a ceiling tile in a public bathroom by the Shibuya HA. The mark's a skull."

Beat jerked away from Neku.

"Okay man! Go t'sleep or somethin'!"

The shout bounced around his skull, and he shooed away Beat.

"You're gonna get my stuff, right?"

"I said 'okay'!"

"Hmm."

"Beat! Neku, what the hell?"

"Shiki, this guy needs to kick it fer a bit. Rhyme, can ya come with me? Says he's got his stuff stashed somewhere near HA."

"Sure. Neku, go to sleep, 'kay?"

"Mm."

Shiki waved over Mr. Hanekoma, who hurried over and placed a cup of tea in his hands.

"Just drink this and sleep."

Blue eyes flicked from Shiki to Mr. Hanekoma before finally resting on the cup of amber liquid he was holding.

Neku blew at the steam, and took small sips from the warm cup.

"Thanks. I think I'll... No, I won't apologize tomorrow."

He placed the cup on a nearby coffee table and closed his eyes.

Mr. Hanekoma gently pressed the back of his hand to Neku's forehead, and Neku did not stir.

"Holy shit. The kid's _cold_. It's the first time I've seen a kickback this bad. Shiki, you're damn lucky to have that kind of power and barely any kickback."

Shiki wordlessly watched Neku.

"Can we leave him here at the cafe?"

"I don't see why not? We're neighbors, after all."

Her eyes drifted up to the clock, and she let a heavy sigh overflow from her chest. For the first time since she got to the cafe, she checked her personal cellphone.

"Shoot. My parents are freaking out."

Mr. Hanekoma gestured to the door after throwing a blanket over Neku.

"Go home. It's late, and you have classes tomorrow."

"Thanks. Take care of Neku for us."

"I got it."

The barista watched the girl disappear through the dirty glass door, and began cleaning up the shop.

-0-0-0-

Instead of vague voices and blistering pain, what woke up Neku this time was blinding sunshine. He threw off the covers on him, and rolled up slowly, cracking his spine. With a whimper, he rubbed his eyes to escape the bright light, but eventually noticed his bag on a chair in the corner. A note on it pointed out that there was a shower outside and to the right. When he opened his bag, the hard look in his eyes dulled, and he sighed softly. A bright strand of hair fluttered from the zipper onto his clothes.

A small yelp almost came from his throat, before he clamped two hands over his mouth. Gasping, his knees bent as each drop of water in the shower seared his wounds like acid, and he stared at his body in horror. Bruises mottled his skin, and the scrapes and cuts ground into the ruptured blood vessels did not help him in any way.

"Shit, shit," he muttered, cleaning out the delicate injuries as lightly as possible. Red and yellow washed into the drain as pain crawled up his skin. He had to rub tears from his eyes by the time he was done with his shower.

"Mr. Hanekoma?" he called out weakly. "Mr. Hanekoma?"

There was the sound of shuffling and faint yelling before he heard a knock on the door.

"Yeah, kid?"

"Do you have any bandages? I think I'm pretty fucked up."

"We do. Sorry 'bout that. We didn't think we should touch you while you were... like that."

"Huh. I'm gonna get blood on your towels too."

"Alright. I can't believe you took so many meds yesterday that you couldn't feel your injuries."

"The headache's always worse."

"Well, that sounds shitty. I'll go get a kit."

"Thanks."

Patching himself up took a grand total of thirty minutes, and by the time he was dressed, Mr. Hanekoma already had a light lunch outside for him.

"Hey, why aren't you wearing your contacts?"

"I didn't change the solution for them last night. Not putting that in my eyes until I change it."

He took a bite of the sandwich and quickly washed it down with a large gulp of coffee, before trying to kill the taste of the coffee with a bite of the sandwich.

"It's so bitter!"

"Really? The other seem to like it just fine."

"What the hell is this coffee?"

"You won't be going to sleep after that, I put an espresso shot or two in that cup."

Neku stared at the man, before downing the whole cup.

"Still not used to the taste. I just started drinking this stuff since I moved to Shibuya," he said, looking at the food.

"Since Shibuya? I'm impressed you you kept up your hero act without it wherever you came from."

Neku laughed and took a bite of the sandwich.

"I wasn't a hero back then."

"Oh."

"Ah, fuck. I gotta help them take down the Reapers now, huh?"

"Yeah."

"Shiki... She really screwed me over."

"Yes. She did."

At that point, he ate in silence and said nothing for the rest of his meal.

After all, what else could he do?


End file.
